Self Improvement Ideas

If you're into reading personal development books like I am, it's likely that you've come across hundreds of self improvement ideas. It can be hard to sift through all of these fantastic and helpful ideas to find the ones you can enact. After all, it's easier to make a few changes at once than it is to change everything right away. I will try to weed this self improvement ideas to five simple shifts you could put into practice today.

1. Schedule Your Silence

A lot of personal improvement work happens in solitary silence. You can use the time for planning, affirmations, mediation, reading and relaxation. If you don't put this time in your daily planner in the first place, you may have a difficult time enacting change. Set aside at least 20 minutes a day in which you won't be bothered or distracted.

2. Look for the Challenge or Lesson

One of the best ways to improve yourself is to increase the positivity of your outlook. Positive people tend to succeed in many more areas than negative people and they are often treated far better than their peers. To start becoming more optimistic, examine the rough parts of your life that you'd usually complain about and instead determine how they can help you to improve or learn. For example, when I'm having "one of those days," I know that life is challenging me to the be more patient. If I take a major mistake like a bad purchase, it is life teaching me to do more research next time, a lesson I am grateful to learn. Eventually, all negative circumstances in your life will become at least partially positive.

3. Get Moving

Whether or not you need to lose weight, taking up exercise is one of the most important self motivation ideas. Even mild exercise like light walking increases the flow of oxygen to the brain, literally making you think more effectively. Moving around also increases production of the endorphin hormone, which increases happiness and can add to your attempts at creating a positive attitude. Lastly, exercise can lead to improved health and more ideal weight. Who knew that a little walking and jogging could do so much?

4. Be Flexible

There are some strange self improvement ideas out there: making affirmations to yourself in the mirror, visualizing your dreams while simulating happy emotions, writing down your innermost desires. For these odd but effective methods to work, you need to be flexible about what you believe. In addition, you need to be flexible about what you believe you are capable of. Remember that the belief system you've had your whole life hasn't gotten you where you want to go. You may as well be open to changing it. Letting down your belief walls of resistance will allow you to be flexible when it comes to your thoughts, your emotions and your actions. This is no time to be stubborn.

5. Count Your Blessings

The Law of Attraction implies that if you're grateful for what you have, you'll get more of it. Even if you don't believe that (see #4 above), gratitude is an important first step for self-improvement. If you've been melodramatic about the "sorry" condition of your life, be grateful about what you have in comparison to the lowest of the low. There's always someone that is less fortunate than you (typically many people) and you should feel blessed for the advantages you've been given over that person. List all your assets, friends, family and inner qualities whenever you're feeling low and you'll quickly realize that you have a lot going for you. Focus on gratitude and you'll have a happier attitude and a higher chance for success.